Sunburnt!

[Mrs Ava]

Please remember when you are on the plot to slap on some sun cream.  I know it is only May, but I was on the plot from 9am until 3pm and now I have glorious rosey red shoulders and neck!

It was a FANTASTIC day though.  Got soooooooooo much done!  Seedlings are popping up everywhere thanks to that mass of rain on Monday and sunny days since.  I have a lovely thick row of parnsips, loads and loads of carrots, turnips, radish and spring onions.  There are lettuce of every shape and colour and the tomatos and cucumbers that I planted out - with protection of course, look so happy in this warmth.  Even my peas and runner beans have flowers already!!  :o  I know I know, all of you happy spirits will warn me that we could still have a cold spell, but you  know, I have plenty of spare plants, and today must have been the official Danbury get your tenders out day because the allotment site was very busy, and when they had all gone I went for a nose about and everyone has now planted marrows and courgettes, toms, beans  and sweetcorn!

I have also been trying to think of ways of collecting more water for the allotment, so what I have started to do is when we finish our 4 pint polly, from the MILKMAN, I rinse it out and leave it on the draining board.  Then, when I rinse things under the tap, or when the kids have a drink of water and don't finish it, rather than just tip it down the drain, I have been filling up the pollys.  Then, when the day comes for me to go to the allotment, I fill them up from the tap, lids on, and away they go.  I now have 6 up there.  I am sure they will come in handy as the dry summer sets in, and as we get through 4 of those a week, I should be able to stockpile a good drop of the wet stuff.  ;D

Hope you all enjoyed the sun, but remember the suncream and hats!

[Mrs Ava]

[supersprout]

Timely reminder EJ, I was wearing the Foreign Legion hat (peak and duster down the back), bright white spf 30 sun block, was on the plot for under an hour, and still look like a blush smiley :-[

[Hyacinth]

I've had 2 great days gardening - factor 4 some places, factor 8 others....higher factors ready for whenever....dry oil spray is a boon - you can put it in your hair too, and anyway, the soil doesn't stick like trad. sun creams.

Weeds growing nicely in the gardens I look after and I'm a little bit fed up..try to tell non-gardeners that a blitz now will mean just maintenance later?! Instead of which, the 4 hours solid weeding and grass cutting I've done today will be repeated next week with the untouched parts of the gardens getting more and more out of control. V. disheartening. 3 steps forward, 2 steps back..

My own plottie, tho, getting there! 33 tom plants moved from the g/house to cold frames before eventually being put in the garden end of the month. Only just seeded runner/french beans so no show yet, but radishes including mouli have germinated in three days! Lettuces for the ladies (2 Webbs varieties and a Cos) doing really well....spring onions springing. 2 big parsley pots planted with this season's curled parsley and thanks to dandelion will be finished off with flat-leaf stuff at the top. Salad pots are a big thrill - Belle de Fontenay (or somesuch like) have almost filled the 2 muck tubs I put them in and I'm excited!..Other things, all germinated, doing well and Under Control. This weekend's project - to erect the 3 Home Bargains Arches...

Well pleased, so far... :D 8)

[cleo]

Blimey-my favourite ladies all been working hard,makes me feel like a lazy so and so. But I do have a nice range of Elemis for those with a touch of the sun or aching muscles ;)

[Hyacinth]

What's Elemis?

[cleo]

Lishka-google it, it`s nice but not cheap-a bit like me really ;)

[Hyacinth]

but easily available, Steph? ::) ;D

[Heldi]

Elemis bath milk is superb! I used it on my babes when they had very dry skin,worked a treat, which is good cos I'd bought it as a treat... for moi!

[loulou]

sun cream i had the kids factor 50 on the other day i was only in my garden at home transplanting seeds and sowing some more in total i was in the garden for  2 hours tops and i look like a lobster  i cant lie on my back ( no comments please  :o ) shoulders sore neck well tomato red other half just  said ops dose that hurt wait hell get burnt soon enough then revenge will be sweet ( slap on the back like he did to me ) ;D i got the strimmer and hedge cutter from my dad today only for it to rain and rain and yes rain hears hopping for good weather tomorrow i need to cut my bushes  : :-X  Abby my youngest had factor 50 on to she was in the paddling pool not one once of red on her Lulu came home from school with a sunburnt face red cheeks and nose but they love the sun